Forage cutting apparatus, including a rotor having pocketed blades



c. E. FRUDDEN 2,450, 77. FQRAGE CUTTING APPARATUS, INCLUDING A ROTORHAVING POCKETED BLADES Filed 001;. 1, 1945 Sept. 28, 1948.

Patented Sept. 28, 1948 FORAGE CUTTING APPARATUS, INCLUDING A ROTORHAVING POCKETED BLADES Conrad E Frudden, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to,Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ofDelaware Application October 1, 1945; Serial No. 619,633

9 Claims. (Cl. 146120) This invention relates generally-to foragereducing machines of the type embodying rotor mounted blades coactingwith a shear bar or other suitable device for eflecting a severing ofthe the discharge opening in the rotor enclosing casing structure thusminimizing the number of rotating parts required, the friction loss andwear of parts, and consequently the initial, operating material normallyfed into such machines, and and servicing costs. has for its object theprovision of an improved The construction, application and operation offorage severing and conveying apparatus aflordapparatus embodying theinvention will become ing one or more of the following advantages: (1)readily apparent as the disclosure progresses and an effective cuttingand conveying of the severed more particularly points out features ofconstrucmaterial with a minimum number of parts, (2) tion considered ofspecial importance. And in low power requirements, and (3) asimple,durable this connection, the present invention may be constructionrequiring a minimum of servicing in considered as consisting of thevarious combinaorder to maintain the severing parts conditioned tions ofelements and parts constructed and/or for effective operation.correlated as is more fully set forth in the de- More particularly, thepresent invention is 5 tailed description and in the appended claims,directed toward and contemplates the provision reference being had tothe accompanying drawof a forage reducing and conveying apparatus ing ilustrating an embodiment of the invention wherein the material issevered within or adjaand in which: cent an opening in a casingstructure and then 1 a o t d al ect on through part Of conveyed throughthe casing structure to a disa r e harvester e b y t t on;

charge opening therein by means of a rotor having one or moretrough-shaped blade elements extending generally longitudinally of therotor axis and presenting a concave paddle portion and an outerknife-like cutting edge, both facing in the general direction of bladetravel.

The knife-like cutting edge coacts with a shear bar or like part andserves to effectively sever the material fed into the machine, and theforwardly facing concave, trough-like paddle portion serves to impart ahigh velocity to the severed material in conveying same to and throughthe discharge opening in the rotor enclosing casing and serves to reducefriction losses by minimizing the rubbing or scrubbing action of severedmaterial on the peripheral confining wall of the casing structure.

. In the heretofore known constructions of forage reducing machines, itis common practice to use rotor mounted knife elements presenting aforwardly facing cutting edge and to employ an additional set ofseparate material-conveying paddle elements mounted either on the knifecarrying rotor or on a separate rotor in order to im- Fig. 2 is apartial plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with parts brokenaway to better show the arrangement of parts;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial longitudinal section illustrating thecoaction between the oppositely facing knife-like cutting edges of theblades and shear bar, and the manner in which severed material ispartially pocketed in the concavity of a. blade as it is conveyed to thedischarge opening in the rotor enclosing casing.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, it is seen that for purposes ofillustration the invention is shown as applied to a forage reducingmachine of the type including a rotor I, a casing structure 2 enclosingthe rotor i and provided with a pair of circumferentially spacedelongated openings 3 and 4 extending in generally parallel relation withrespect to the rotor axis, a material feeding mechanism 6 operativelyassociated with the opening 3, and a material receiving conductor orspout structure I enclosing the opening 4.

The rotor I comprises a shaft portion 8, a plurality 0f peripherallyflanged disks 9 disposed on shaft portion 8 in concentric relationthereto and part a high Velocity t t severed material in 5 in axiallyspaced relation with respect to each conveying same to and through thedischarge Otherand a plurality of hh ped blade opening in the rotorenclosing casing structure. elements ll secured to the Peripheral flangeD0 However, the provision of an additional set of tions of the disks 9in circumferentlally p d material conveying paddle elements increasesthe relation with respect to each he and with the co t of constructingand operating h machines, concave surfaces of the blades facing in thegenand in addition, the separate paddle elements are in general arrangedand/or shaped so as to increase, rather than minimize, the friction lossand wear of parts resulting from severed material rubbing against orscrubbing the peripheral confining wall of the casing structure.

In accordance with this invention, each rotor mounted blade-like elementeffectively serves the dual purpose of severing the material and thenconveying the severed material to and through iii) eral direction ofblade travel or rotor rotation as is clearly indicated by the arrow onFig. 1. The outer portions of the blades are sharpened to presentknife-like cutting edges [2 which also face in the general direction ofblade travel and in this connection, are preferably externally beveledin order to permit the blades to be readily effectively externallyground or resharpened while the rotor is revolving. The blades arepreferably secured to the disks 9 in skewed relation relative to therotor axis, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, in order for the sharpenedouter edges of the blades to progressively move into a cutting relationwith respect to a shear bar or like part disposed in generally parallelrelation with respect to the rotor axis.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it is seen that blades i H are of uniformthickness throughout except at the outer edges which are ground toprovide knife-like cutting edges I2, disposed in leading relation in thedirection of travel to the concave material confining portion, that thebase portion of the blades H are fixedly secured to peripheral portionsof flanged disks or support members 9 as by bolts and nuts, that thesecuring connection between blades H and flanged disks 9 are disposed inleading relation to an adjacent portion of the cutting edge l2.

The casing structure 2 comprises a pair of preferably parallel end wallsI3 and I4 rigidly interconnected by means of upper and lower arcuatewall sections IS and I1 circumferentially spaced apart to formtherebetween the material receiving and discharging openings 3 and 4,respectively, and by means of a material directing wall l8 which extendsupward and forward from the edge of upper section I6 which in partdefines the material receiving opening 3. In' addition, the end walls l3and H may be also rigidly interconnected by means of a ledge platestructure l9 disposed adjacent the edge of the opening 3 defined by theoutwardly flanged edge 2| of lower arcuate section I1, and by means of aU-shaped channel member 22 disposed in underlying supporting relationwith respect to the flanged edge 2| of lower section |1. And if desired,lower section II. may be additionally reinforced by means of a pluralityof external angle members 23 disposed in approximately parallel relationwith respect to the rotor axis.

In addition to affording a support for the flanged edge 2| of lowersection l1, channel member 22 also supports a shear bar or like part 24disposed in superposed relation with respect to flanged edge 2| and insuitable coacting relation with respect to the sharpened outer edges 2of the rotor mounted knife blades II. In this connection, shear bar 24is preferably shaped and sharpened to present a knife-like cutting edge26 which is disposed adjacent the casing edge of ledge plate I9 andfaces in a direction generally opposite to the knife-like cutting edgepresented by each blade when disposed in material severing relationthereto.

The material feeding mechanism comprises an endless elevating conveyor21 arranged to deliver material to be severed onto a plain surfaced roll28 effectively closing the space between the discharge end of conveyor21 and ledge plate IS, a relatively large ribbed feed roll 29 disposedin overlying coacting relation with respect to the upper discharge endof conveyor 21 and with respect to feed roll 28, and a smaller ribbedfeed roll 3| disposed alongside roll 29 in overlying coacting relationwith respect to a portion of roll 23 and with respect to ledge plate IS.The effective width of the upper or discharge end of conveyor 21 isapproximately equal to the length of the associated feed rolls 28, 29and 3| and to the distance between the end walls I3 and H of easingstructure 2. And the feed rolls are preferably of a length approximatelyequal to the effective length of ledge plate l9, to the effective lengthof the elongated material receiving opening 3, and to the effectivelength of rotor The discharge end of conveyor 21 is disposed between thecasing structure end walls I3 and I4 and is supported, at least in part,by one or more cross members 32 which may be carried by the end walls I3and H or by any other suitable parts of the casing structure, asdesired. And it is to be understood that the rotor the rotating parts ofconveyor 21 and the feed rolls 28, 23,- and 3| are operatively mountedand driven in a. known manner by means of conventional bearing supportsand by means of conventional driving connections with a suitable powersource (all not shown in the interest of simplicity), and that thecasing structure 2 may be in turn suitably mounted on any desired formof supporting structure.

In operation, material to be severed passes from the discharge end ofconveyor 21 between the rolls 28 and 29, then between the roll 3| andledge plate I9, and then over the knife-like cuttingedge 26 of shear bar24 and into the material receiving opening 3. In passing over theknifelike cutting edge 26, the material is effectively severed throughcoaction of the forwardly facing knife-like cutting edges |2 presentedby the rotating blades And the severed material is then engaged by theforwardly facing concave paddle portions of the blades and is conveyedthereby at high velocity to and through the discharge opening 4 and intothe spout structure 1.

In this connection, much of the severed material is pocketed within theconcavity of the trough-like blade while being conveyed to its point ofdischarge (see Fig. 3), and is thus prevented from rubbing against orscrubbing the confining wall surface presented by arcuate section |1.Moreover, arcuate section l1 closely surrounds the outer peripheralportions of the blades and thus prevents severed material from escapingor passing between the sharpened outer edge of the blades and theconfining wall structure. In addition, the passage of severed materialat high velocity through discharge opening 4 and into spout 1 extendingtangentially upward and away from the casing in the general direction ofmaterial projection affords an effective means for conveying comminutedmaterial to an elevated point of disposition, for example, into atrailing wagon or other suitable receptacle (not shown) without the aidof an auxiliary conveying means such as a blower or a paddle typeconveyor heretofore commonly employed, all to the end of affording asimplified and durable construction which is relatively inexpensive bothas to manufacture and operation.

The invention is in general applicable to all types of forage reducingmachines embodying a casing enclosed rotor element for sewing materialdelivered thereto and for conveying the severed material to a point ofdischarge comprising an opening in the casing structure. And while theinvention has been illustrated and described as applied to a forageharvester of the type embodying an elevating conveyor and a feed rollassembly, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit theinvention either to its use for reducing and conveying forage inparticular or to the particular combination of elements herein shown anddescribed for purposes of illustration as various modifications withinthe scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in theart.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A forage severing and conveying apparatus comprising a shaft, aplurality of peripheral!!! flanged disks mounted on said shaft inconcentric relation thereto, one or more trough-shaped blades secured toperipheral flange portions of said disks and extending generallylongitudinally of the shaft axis with the concave material confiningsurfaces of said blades facing in the general direction of blade travel,said blades each having its outer edge portion externally beveled andsharpened to present a knife-like cutting edge which also faces in thegeneral direction of blade travel, a casing structure surrounding theouter edges of said blades and having therein a pair ofcircumferentially spaced material receiving and discharging openings,and a shear bar mounted for severing coaction with the outer edgeportions of said blades, said casing structure having an arcuate sectionextending from said shear bar to the adjacent side of said materialdischarging opening and contiguously coacting with the outer edges ofsaid blades to prevent severed material from passing between saidarcuate casing section and the opposed cutting edges of said bladesthereby maintaining much of the severed material within the troughs ofsaid blades as it is conveyedby said blades to said discharge opening.

2. A forage severing and conveying apparatus comprising a shaft, aplurality of peripherally flanged disks mounted on said shaft inconcentric relation thereto, one or more trough-shaped blades secured toperipheral flange. portions of said disks and extending generallylongitudinally of the shaft axis with the concave material confiningsurfaces of said blades facing in the general direction of blade travel,said blades each having its outer edge portion externally beveled andsharpened to present a knife-like cutting edge which also faces in thegeneral direction of blade travel, a casing structure surrounding theouter edges of said blades and having therein a pair ofcircumferentially spaced material receiving and discharging openings.

and an angle-shaped shear bar mounted adjacent one side of said materialreceiving opening for severing coaction with said blades and having baseand flange portions with the latter portion extending from said baseportion in a direction generally opposite to the direction of bladerotation when said blades are adjacent said shear bar and having thefree end of the flange portion sharpened to present a knife-like cuttingedge facing in a direction generally opposite to the knife-dike cuttingedges of said blades when disposed in material severing relation, saidcasing structure having an arcuate section extending from said shear barto the adjacent side of said material discharging opening andcontiguously co-acting with the outer edges of said blades to preventsevered material from passing between said arcuate casing section andthe opposed cutting edges of said blades thereby maintainlng much of thesevered material within the troughs of said blades as it is conveyedthereby to said discharge opening.

3. A forage severing and conveying apparatus comprising a rotorstructure presenting one or more trough-shaped, peripherally disposedblades extending generally longitudinally of the rotor .axis and havingconcave material confining surfaces facing in the general direction ofblade travel, said blades each having its outer edge portion externallybeveled and sharpened to present a knife-like cutting edge which alsofaces in the general direction of blade travel, a

casing structure surrounding the outer edges of said blades and havingtherein a pair of circumferentially spaced material receiving and.

discharging openings, and an angle-shaped shear bar mounted adjacent oneside of said material receiving opening for severing coaction with saidblades and having base and flange portions with the latter portionextending from said base portion in a direction generally opposite tothe direction of blade rotation when said blades are adjacent said shearbar and having the free end of the flange portion sharpened to present aknife-like cutting edge facing in a direction generally opposite to theknife-like cutting edges of said blades when disposed in materialsevering relation, said casing structure having an arcuate sectionextending from said shear bar to the adjacent side of said materialdischarging opening and contiguously coac-ting with the outer edges ofsaid blades to prevent severed material from passing between saidarcuate casing section and the opposed cutting edges of said bladesthereby maintaining much of the severed material within the troughs ofsaid blades as it is conveyed thereby to said discharge opening.

4. A forage severing and conveying apparatus comprising a rotorstructure, one or more blades removably attached to peripheral portionsof said rotor structure and extending generally longitudinally of therotor axis, said blades presenting trough-like material confiningpockets facing in the general direction of blade travel, a casingstructure closely surrounding the bladed peripheral portion of saidrotor and having therein a pair of circumferentially spaced materialreceiving and discharging openings, and an angle-shaped shear barmounted adjacentone side of said material receiving opening for severingcoaction with said blades and having base and flange portions with thelatter portion extending from said base portion in a direction generallyopposite to the direction of blade rotation when said blades areadjacent said shear bar and having the free end of the flange portionsharpened to present a knife-like cutting edge facing in a directiongenerally opposite to the cutting edges of said blades when disposed inmaterial severing relation, said blades each having its outer, shear-baropposing edge portion externally beveled and sharpened to present aknife-like cutting edge which also faces in the general direction ofblade travel.

'5. A forage severing and conveying a paratus comprising a shaft, aplurality of peripherally flanged disks mounted on said shaft inconcentric relation thereto. one or more trough-shaped blades secured toperipheral flange portions of said disks and extending generallylongitudinally of the shaft axis and having concave material confiningsurfaces facing in the general direction of blade travel. said bladeshaving their outer edges sharpened to present knife-like cutting edgeswhich also face in the direction of shaft rotation, a casing structureclosely surrounding the outer edges of said blades and includingmaterial receiving and discharging openings therein, and an-angle-sha edshear bar mounted adjacent said mater al receiving opening for severingcoaction with said blades and having base and flan e portions with thelatter portion extending from said base portion in a direction generallyopposite to the direction of blade rotation when said blades areadjacent said shear bar and having the free end of the flange portionsharpened to present a knife-like cutting edge facing in a directiongenerally opposite to the knifelike cutting edges of said blades whendisposed in material severing relation.

6. A forage severing and conveying apparatus comprising a shaft, aplurality of support members mounted on said shaft, one of moretroughshaped blades secured to peripheral portions of said supports andextending generally longitudinally of the shaft axis and presenting theconcave material confining surfaces facing in the general direction ofblade travel, said blades each having its outer edge portion externallybeveled and sharpened to present a knife-like cutting edge which alsofaces in the general direction of blade travel, a casing structuresurrounding the outer edges of said blades and having therein a pair ofcircumferentially spaced material receiving and discharging openings,and a shear bar mounted for severing coaction with the outer edgeportions of said blades, said casing structure having an arcuate sectionextending from said shear bar to the adjacent side of said materialdischarging opening and contiguously coacting with the outer edges ofsaid blades to prevent severed material from passing between saidarcuate casing section and the opposed cutting edges of said bladesthereby maintaining much of the severed material within the troughs ofsaid blades as it is conveyed by said blades to said discharge opening.

7. A forage severing and conveying apparatus comprising a rotorstructure presenting one or more trough-shaped peripherally disposedblades extending generally longitudinally of the rotor axis and eachblade having a concave material confining surface facing in the generaldirection of blade travel, said blades each having its outer edgeportion sharpened to present a knife-like cutting edge which also facesin the general direction of blade travel, a casing structure surroundingthe outer edges of said blades and having therein a pair ofcircumferentially spaced material receiving and discharging openings, ashear bar mounted adjacent one side of said material receiving op ningfor severing coaction with said rotor mounted blades, said casingstructure including an arcuate section extending from said shear bar tothe adjacent side of said material discharging opening and contiguouslycoacting with the outer edges of said blades to prevent severed materialfrom passing between said arcuate casing section and the opposed cuttingedges of said blades thereby maintaining much of the severed materialwithin the troughs of said blades as the severed material is conveyed bysaid blades to said discharge opening, and a severed material receivingand confining spout structure surrounding said discharge opening andextending generally upwardly tangentially from the periphery of saidcasing structure in the direction of rotor rotation and in a directiongenerally conforming with the trajectory of the severed materialprojected through said discharge opening.

8. In a material severing and conveying apparatus comprising a rotorpresenting at least one peripherally disposed material cutting andconveying blade presenting a material cutting edge disposed in leadingrelation in the direction of blade travel with respect to anintermediate portion\ of said blade to thereby define a materialconfining pocket facing in the direction of blade trav l, a casingstructure surrounding said rotor in m terial confining relation theretoand having therein a pair of circumferentially spaced material receivingand discharging openings, a shear bar mounted adjacent one side of saidmaterial receiving opening for severing coaction with said rotor mountedblade, said casing structure having an arcuate section extending fromsaid shear bar to the adjacent edge of said material dising opening andcontiguously coacting with the outer edges of said blade to preventsevered material from passing between said arcuate section and theopposed cutting edge 01" said blade thereby maintaining much of thesevered material within the confines of said blade pocket as thematerial is conveyed to said discharge opening, and a severed materialreceiving and confining spout structure surrounding said dischargeopening and extending generally upwardly tangentially from the peripheryof said casing structure in the direction of rotor rotation and in adirection generally conforming with the trajectory of the severedmaterial projected through said opening.

9. In a material severing and conveying apparatus comprising a rotor, acasing structure surrounding said rotor and having therein a pair ofcircumferentially spaced material receiving and discharging openings,said casing structure having an arcuate section extending from a pointproximate to said material receiving opening to the adjacent edge ofsaid material discharging opening, said rotor having one or more bladespresenting intermediate portions terminating in radially spaced base andcutting edge portions disposed in leading pocket forming relation in thedirection of blade travel with respect to said intermediate portions,said blades being removably attached to the periphery of said rotor withthe base portions of said blades in leading relation in the direction ofblade travel to said intermediate and said cutting edge portions, ashear bar mounted adjacent one edge of said material receiving openingin proximate relation to said arcuate section and coacting with saidblades for severing material fed therebetween, the outer portions ofsaid blades contiguously coacting with said arcuate section to formmaterial confining pockets facing generally in the direction of bladerotation as the severed material is conveyed to said discharge openingby said blades, and a severed material receiving and confining spoutstructure surrounding said discharge opening and extending generallyupwardly tangentially from the periphery of said casing structure in thedirection of rotor rotation and in a direction generally conforming withthe trajectory of the chopped material projected through said dis chargeopening.

CONRAD E. FRUDDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 12,534 Stewart Sept. 25, 1906216,486 Murray June 10, 1879 577,069 Saiberlich Feb. 16, 1897 821,447Albrecht May 22, 1906 1,221,364 Neu Apr. 3, 1917 1,851,887 Bartkus Mar.29, 1932 2,242,557 Urschel et al May 20, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 672,100 France Sept. 14, 1929

